Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 January 1941 — Page 4

POST DEMOCRAT FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1941.

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THE POST-DEMOCRAT 41 Democratic weekly newspaper representing tie Democrats. ®f Tiuncie, Delaware County ana the 10th Congressional District, The only Democratic Newspaper in Delaware County.

Entered as second classc matter January 15, 1921, at the Postoffice st Muncie, Indiana, under Act of March 3. 1879. PRICE S CENTS—f 1.50 A YEAR MRS. GEO. R. DALE, Publisher 916 West Main street.

Muncie, Indiana, Friday, January 3, 1941.

PROPERTY LIENS AND INSURANG ASSIGNMENTS IN THE WELFARE AGT

Legislators Should Get Expenses As Well As Pay The common complaint of taxpayers is that public officials are paid too much. But there are rather rare cases where public officials are underpaid and where it would be a good investment to pay more. The one such case which occurs to us now is that of the Indiana state legislators, who get $10 per day for the 61 day session, but who must go to Indianapolis and pay their own expenses while there. Since few legislators can live at home and attend the sessions, these expenses run into real money. There are few men worthy to be legislators who do not actually lose money by serving on this $10 allowance for their time and expenses. The common explanation as to why the legislature does not raise its own pay is because of public sentiment against men voting themselves increases, plus the fact that quite properly under the law the increases would apply only after an election had intervened, and not to those who voted it unless they were reelected. But behind this is the fact that such public sentiment would probably be fanned by those who want to keep the legislators starved, so that they in one way or another will be more amendable to subsidy from special privilege groups. Such subsidies may range from the more or less acceptable kinds, such as free meals, reduced hotel rates, free theater tickets, etc., to distribution of patronage, both public and private, through spicy entertainment down to downright buying of votes for substantial sums of cash. To help free the legislators from pressure by such forbes we suggest that legislators be granted, in addition to their $10 a day salary, their actual expenses for hotel rooms, meals, and mileage to and from home a reasonable number of times duringThe session.

Three Millions In Pennsylvania Alone It cost the Republican organization an estimated $3,000,000 to lose with Willkie in Pennsylvania. The G. O. P. made a mockery of the Hatch act in the state compaign, spending money without stint not only through its regular organizations, but through a variety of supplementary groups, including Willkie Clubs, Democrats for Willkie, No Third Term Leagues, etc.

$3,000,000 National Limit

The Hatch Act, incidentally, was supposed to restrict nation-wide expenditures of each of the major parties to $3,000,000, under an interpretation by U. S. Attorney General

Robert H. Jackson.

Early in the campaign, however, Republicans were advised by their chief counsel, Henry P. Fletcher, that in effect the Hatch act wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. Fletcher ruled that each committee working for the ticket could spend as much as $3,000,000, thereby making

the sky the limit.

When members of the 1936 special session of the Indiana Gen-, eral Assembly wrote the Welfare Act, they determined to make sure that persons who benefited from the public assistance plan should repay the aid they received, if possible. Three provisions of the Act. i embody this principle in regard to assistance to the needy aged. First, each aged person must agree to reimburse the state and county for any assistance he receives; second, the assistance grant becomes a lien against his property; third, the recipient agrees to assign as collateral security part of his personal property as required departments. The Act provided by the state and county welfare that help be given those who cannot help themselves, but, when persons become able to take care of themselves financially, previous assistance from public funds must

be repaid.

In providing for a lien against pi’operty of a recipient of assistance to the aged, the legislators took stock of the fact that many aged persons own property which is usable to them but is not easily convertible into money to meet living expenses. Also, they realized that in some cases children of aged persons would not contribute to their support, but, under the laws of the state, the children would inherit their parents’ property even though they had not been of help in time of need. In cases of this sort, if the aged individual were granted assistance without the lien provision, public funds would, in effect, be preserving and building up an estate for the benefit of the children, rather than for the benefit of their needy parents. Section 38 of the Indiana Welfare Act provides for the recording of a lien against the property of a recipient of public aid by the simple method of filing, a copy of tlm grant with the county recorder. The claim is not enforced during the lifetime of the aged person nor while the property is occupied by the surviving spouse. Since the claim of the state and county against the real estate is in the form of a recorded lien, enforcement is simple and inexpensive, and, through application of this procedure, administrative expense of collecting from estates of can be kept to a minimum. At the deceased recipients of public aid close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940, $481,163.39 had been recovered from the property of recipients of assistance to the aged. Real property, however, is not

Equal Pensions for All “Why should public employees receive greater social security from the government than the taxpayers?” we were asked recently. In late years the principle of old age pensions underwritten and partly subsidized by the government has become accepted in ,our plan of government. Today a large fraction of our people are contributing to such pension funds. But public employes and private citizens do not come into the same fund, and the pension systems of public employees as a rule are far more liberal, considering the contribution of the recipient, than the system for private employees. It has been suggested that the various public employee pension systems should be combined with the general federal old age pension plan and that everyone be treated on the same basis. What is undemocratic about that?

No Questions Asked The American Red Cross reports having spent millions of dollars for relief in Europe this year and the general public bas such unbounded confidence in the organization that no one questions but what these vast sums were well spent.

the only kind which the aged may possess and still be in need of monthly cash aid in order to have a decent living arrangement. The most common piece of personal property which fits this description is life insurance. A policy which is in force has many of the characteristics of money in the bank. On the other hand, if it is surrendered for its cash value, the holder ordinarily takes a rather large loss. Besides, if a policy is surrendered, burial protection is lost and burial at public expense follows. In order to reconcile provisions of the Welfare Act and interests of the policy-holder, procedure for assigning an interest in insurance policies to the state and county has bene developed. Only an interest in the policy is assigned to the state and county; ownership is not transferred. Like the lien procedure, method of assignment is simple and is designed to protect to the fullest interests of an aged person as well as those of the state and .county. Statutory basis for requesting assignment of a policy is found in Section 44 of the Welfare Act. In making assignment, the holder first designates a portion of the proceeds to be used for his burial; this burial allowance is the first charge against the policy. Next charge is the amount of assistance received. Residue is distributed to persons designated by the

policy holder.

A comment commonly heard about the welfare lien on property and the assignment of insurance is that the recipient has “turned over” his property to the welfare department and has given away his insurance policy. In award becomes a lien against the the case of real property, the property but title of ownership is not charged. The recipient, who is the owner, is responsible for taxes and maintenance, In the ease of insurance, a burial fund is not only the first charge against the policy but also is a protected item. The state and county do not N receive all of the benefits of a policy but are reimbursed only as their interests appear at the time of death because of public assistance granted during life. Residue of the proceeds goes to the beneficiary named by the recipient. The latter is responsible for maintaining the policy ,and premium payments, as a rule, are taken into consideration

OPENING LOR MILLWRIGHTS

1,282 Are Wanted By Manufacturing Plants In Indiana

Openings for 3,282 millwrights exist in Indiana manufacturing plants engaged in work essential to the National Defense Program, according to information gathered in the latest monthly labor market survey conducted by the Indiana State Employment Service. Most of the millwrights are needed for the installation of machinery in new or recently expanded Indiana factories. Heavy demand for first class precision machinists also was revealed by this survey, Richard E. Haugh, manager of the'Muncie employment office, said, Statements by employers indicate that a total of 736 men could be placed in this highly skilled craft with the next 60 days. Only workers who understand blueprints and written specifications, and who are skilled in using all machinist’s hand tools and all machine tools, can qualify for these jobs. Other occupations in which unusual demand for skilled labor is expected during the next 60 days are: railroad car builder and repairer, 200 men; reinforcing iron worker, 200 men; and tool maker,

435 men.

The prospect is remote that the sudden demand for experienced installation millwrights can be filled, Mr. Haugh said. This prospect also applies to some of the other occupational groups in which workers are needed. While the survey revealed need for 1,282 millwrights, an inventory of the active work applications filed in the 26 employment offices in the state showed only 312 millwrights listed as applicants. Of •these men, 182 had just registeredthat steps to place them were in and they were so well qualified progress. The others needed additional training, failed to meet employer requirements, preferred retaining their present jobs, or were unavailable for other reasons. The local office files contained the cards of only 98 qualified and available precision machinists, compared with an indicated need

for 736.

To meet the anticipated demand for 200 railroad car builders and repairers, the Employment Ser-

Five Major Munition Projects Give State Vital Defense Role

Announcements have been made i work. During the next month the this month that the War Depart-1 sur 7 e y in S s J 0llld ^ completed

1 and construction will be speeded

ment will purchase 60,000 acres of j

up. It is estimated that more than

land north of Madison for an ord-1 5 000 construction workers will be nance testing ground and that the i employed at the peak.

vice files contained cards of only

in determining the amount of pub- 128 men who were qualified and lie aid he needs before public help j available for referral to employers.

is granted.

Camps Not Yet Ready To Take Care of Military Draftees; Time Needed Grave health hazards were add-,draftees is called out to be sent to

Housing Boom for 1941 All the wheels have been oiled in Washington for the Government machine that will build new houses throughout the country. Every locality directly connected with the defense program will be provided with new homes that will likely be financed by the government. Banks and building and loan associations, and other concerns, will also be backed in what seems to become a home building boom for 1941.

Pledging Labor Peace Labor Policy Committees of A. F. of L. and C. I. O. have pledged their members that there will be “uninterrupted production in defense industries! Unauthorized strikes by dissatisfied small groups of workmen are not likely to disturb employment conditions in defense plants very much in future. Sign of Prosperity Railroad passenger trains passing through Washington for Florida are unable to carry all the people who want to get aboard. Reservations on coaches and Pullmans need to be purchased in advance.

RECORD NUMBER OF TREE ORDERS FILED

A record number of applications for trees to be used in reforestation planitngs on private land next spring, have been received by the Division of Forestry with the result that the stocks of the state nurseries are being exhausted rapidly, Virgil M. Simmons, commissioner of the Department of Conservation, said today. Approximately 600 applications are now on file and others are being received daily, to he filled in the order of their receipt. It is estimated that two and a half million trees will be required to fill these applications. Major species which are oeing sought include:

tulip poplar; black locust: white oak; ash, and red, white, scotch

and jack pine.

Landowners expecting to apply for trees from the state forest nurseries for reforestation, woodlot and windbreak plantings next spring should get their applications on file immediately before the nursery stocks are exhausted. Application blanks can be obtained from the Division of Forestry, Department of Conservation, State Library Bldg., Indianapolis.

o

POLICE FOR 1,000 YEARS London estimates that it has had

ed this week to perils confronting the young men who are being called for military training. Deplorable conditions exist at practically all cantonments, it was disclosed, and they were declared to be the result of slipshod methods in planning for the care of military trainees. Apparently, the army didn’t learn, or perhaps it forgot, the lessons of mobilization taught by the last World War. The American Defense Society declared that housing facilites for the selective service army are 60 per cent behind schedule, and that adequate provision for health and comfort have been woefully neglected. William Guggenhein, chairman of the society, blamed this situation on “divided responsibility and lack of adequate planning” by militarists. Dr. W. S. Leathers, president of the American Health Association, charged that cantonment areas are dangerous because they lack sanitary and medical facilities. He also warned that epidemics are to be feared, and said that one outbreak at this time would be “more disastrous than the loss of a $40,000,000 battleship.” The camps themselves may eventually be provided with adequate medical service, Dr. Leathers said, but he pointed out that surrounding areas are a “no-man’s-land” where safeguards are almost wholly lacking. Camps have been set down in localities where it is extremely difficult to maintain a civilized way of life, he contended. Other menaces confronting the trainees recently recited by General George C. Marshall, army chief of staff, were re-emphasized this week by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. He asserted that landowners are shamelessly profiteering at the expense of officers and trainees who desire to locate their families close to camps. Rents have been trebled in the last two months and are still climbing, Stimson said. At the same time, he added, all sorts of traps to lead soldiers into immorality are being set adjacent to the camps by business men. The War Department, he claimed, can police the camps, but it is helpless beyond government boundaries. Stimson called on welfare agencies and state and local officials to clean out the “pest-holes” which are preying upon the pocket-books and the moral fiber of the nation’s young manhood. i It will probably be some weeks' yet before the next assignment of

STEAMER IS REFLOATED

The Brazilian steamer Prudente de Maroaes, which went ashore near Punta Arenas last year while carrying- provisions to Chilean

special policemen of one type or earthquake “victims has^just beerr 'mrotlrer~Tttt •atront LtHifF y ears * refloated. —■—-- - ed -

the various training camps all over

the country.

Luncheon Planned for Key Workers, County Chairmen Keith Morgan, national chairman of the “Fight Infantile Paralysis” campaign, will speak at an inspiration meeting of all county chairman at the Indianapolis Athletic Club at a luncheon on Tuesday, January 7. County chairmen and key workers of the local committees of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis will be guests, as will Governor-Elect Henry F. Schricker, who is honorary chairman of the Indiana committee for the campaign. Accompanying Mr. Morgan on his flying nation-wide tour is Mr. George W. Johnstone, chairman of the national radio committee and Mr. Tom Wvigley, national publicity director for the drive. A radio hook-up will carry Mr. Morgan's address over Indiana, while he describes fund-raising activities through parent teacher associa, tions, schools, women’s clubs and through parent teach-er associations and other retail merchants with coin collection boxes, and dances and benefit parties on President Roosevelt’s birthday on

January 30.

Don F. Stiver, state chairman of the Indiana committee, will be host to Mr. Morgan and has announced that other guests will include Judge J. J. Kavanagh, state chairman of the Kentucky committee; Mr. Irvin Abel, member of the advisory committee of the National Foundation, from Louisville, Kentucky; Mr. Walter S. Greenough, managing director of the Indiana chain store council; and Indiana committee officials including Mrs. James L. Murray, president of the Indiana Congress of Parents and Teachers; William Storen, vicepresident of the Security Trust Company; Mrs. W. D. Keenan, second vice-president of the Federa-

tion of Clubs.

Dr. Matthew Winters, chairman of the department of pediatrics at Riley Hospital; Eugene C. Pulliam, Sr., owner of radio station WIRE; Thomas A. Hendricks, secretary of the Indiana State 'Medical Association; Fred Hoke, manufacturer; Floyd I. McMurray, state superintendent of public instruction; James W. Carr, secretary of the James Whitcomb Riley Memorial association; Dr. John W. Ferree, director of the state board of health; Sam Murbarger, chief inspector of the state athletic com-

mssion and many others.

Funds raised between January 13 and January 30, 1941, will be used to fight the epidemic of infantile paralysis~that -has—invad-

The local manager warned that it will be useless for new applicants or persons already registered with the Service and classified in other occupations to try convincing interviewers that they can fill jobs for which they do not have the required experience and skill. Through trade questions, knowledge of occupations, and long experience, Employment Service interviewers are able to detect “phoney” claims. “We believe there may be a few former millwrights, machinists, in the rural areas who could period makers and other craftsmen form important defense jobs if they would register at their nearest Employment Service office,” he said. “Such persons are urged to make themselves available. If they have the necessary qualifications, they will he considered for openings in Indiana and elsewhere.” Applications for work may be filed at the office, at 301 East Main street or at part-time service points in nearby communities. The Muncie office receives registrations daily from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. and Saturdays from 8 o’clock until 12. Applicants will be interviewed in nearby communities according to the following schedule: Union City, in City Hall, at 1:30 p. m. each Thursday; Winchester, 117 North Meridian street, at 9 a .m. each Thursday; Dunkirk, in City Hall, at 2 p. m. each Wednesday; Portland, in the Weiler Building, at 9:30 a. m., each Fri-

day.

— o — Charged with collecting $12,000 for charity and spending it on himself, Carlos P. Ramos, a priest, was arrested in Tucuman.

Navy Department will build a $6,000,000 ordnance plant in Indian-

apolis.

With these new projects, Indiana has become the site of five major government defense plants. The three already under way are the smokeles powder plant at Charlestown, the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant near LaPorte, and the Burns City naval ammunition

dump.

In July, Charlestown was selected as the location of the first munitions plant to be built in Indiana. On July 17, the Federal government signed a contract with E. I. duPont de Nemours, Inc., providing that the company build and operate a $25,000,000 factory for the manufacture of smokeless powder. In October, and additional $26,000,000 allotment was approved to double the size and capacity of

the plant.

The du Pont company has acquired 5,000 acres of land and construction is proceeding at. a rapid pace. It is estimated that about 10,000 construction workers are now employed in building several hundred separate structures. Production to Begin in May Two of the four production lines are scheduled to he placed in operation during May. Between 6,000 and 8,000 production employees will be required when the entire plant reaches its productive capacity of 400,000 pounds^ of powder a day. This plant thus will be the. largest powder plant in the world. The du Pont company is being paid a flat fee for designing and constructing the plant and will be paid on a per pound basis for powder produced. The title to all land, buildings and equipment will be held by the government. Just recently it'"was reported that the government will acquire 3,400 acres adjacent to the powder factory site for a plant to bag powder for use in heavy artillery. During the latter part of September, the War Department began the purchase of 13,000 acres of farm land in LaPorte county as the location of an ammunition Union Center Shell Loading Deloading plant. First known as the pot, the project has since been officially titled the Kingsbury

Ordnance Plant.

Bates and Rogers, Chicago, is the general contractor on this plant, which will cost approximately $11,500,000 to build. Todd and Brown, Inc., New York, will op-

erate the plant.

The Kingsbury plant will consist of about 200 buildings. Small ammunition will be loaded. Part of the powder to be used wBl come from Charlestown. The plant is to be placed in operation in 11 months after the contracts were

signed in November.

Approximately 300 construction workers are now employed on this job, in addition to several crews

of men who

Six thousand production employees, half of them to be women, will be hired when the plant is placed in operation,. Munitions Dump at Burns City The selection of Burns City as the location of a powder storage plant for the Navy was announced in October. This plant is to be located 20 miles west of Bedford in the middle of a 30,000 acre tract owned by the Department of Agriculture. The land has been used as a conservation and reforestation experiment area. At least 100 concrete and limestone buildings, several roads, and perhaps railroad facilities will be constructed on this site at a cost of about $15,000,000. The engineering and survey work in Martin county is being done by the Russel B. Moore Co., of Indianapolis. Construction probably will begin during January, and will provide jobs for several hundred workers. This munitions dump will be less than 100 miles from the Charlestown powder fac-

tory.

The fourth defense project, which is still in the initial stages, is the ordnance testing ground north of Madison. The War Department began early this month to secure options on about 60,000 acres of land in Jefferson, Jennings and Ripley counties. The area, to be used for testing tanks, guns, and ammunition, is 17 miles long, and ranges in width from three miles at the southern end to six miles on the northern extremity. The only other testing ground in the country is located at Aberdeen, Maryland. The Indiana site was selected because it is close to Fort Thomas and Fort Knox in Kentucky, Fort Benjamin Harrison, the Jeffersonville quartermaster depot, and the other Indiana munitions projects. The cost of the proving ground, it is estimated, will be between $6,000,000 and $8,000,000 An airport, administration building and storage facilities are to be built at the split hern end of the area. About 800 persons will be employed in constructing the necessary buildings and facilities. The naval ordnance plant to be built in Indianapolis will produce pirplane bomb sights. Approximately 2,500 workmen skilled in precision manufacturing will be employed in the plant. o MICHIGAN REDUCES WPA

WAR FACTORIES TAX EXEMPTED COUNTIES LOSE

While the federal government is spending millions of dollars in Indiana in the establishment of defense plants and acquiring thousands of acres of Indiana land in the process, .it is also taking these acres off the tax duplicates, which' means the loss of thousands of dollars in taxes to’the local subdivisions of government. In Clark county, where the government. l as acquired 8,000 acres of land adjo-ceut to Charlestown, it is estimated that, based on an average assessment, of $38 an acre, this acquisition will mean the loss of about $10,700 in taxes to Clark county. By the same token, the purchase of 60,000 acres in Jefferson, Ripley and Jennings counties as an ordnance proving ground will mean the loss of approximately $750,000 in taxes to these three counties. Other thousands of acres will be taken from the tax duplicates of LaPorte cfmnty where a shell-load-ing plant is being constructed; Martin county where a Naval ammunition dump is being built and Marion county, where a $6,000,000 Naval ordnance plant is being built. According to information, there are several schools on the acreage taken over for the ordnance proving ground with outstanding school bonds, and the deal also will affect outstanding township bonds in several townships within the area in the three counties. In the puichti e of private property upon which there is a mortgage the government pays the property owner sufficient to wipe out the mortgage so that the property may be delivered title free. In the case of public property, such as school property, it may be that the government will use the same yardstick and pay sufficient to retire the bonds outstanding. These townships are still liable for these bonds, as are the school districts. According; to other informed authorities, it will be necessary for the General Assembly to pass some kind of remedial legislation which will adequately take care of this tremendous drain on the taxables in these counties.

Detroit—iFourteen thousand Michigan W1PA workers have returned to jobs in the state’s expanding private industries during the past 90 days, state administrator Abner E. Larnfcd has reported. o PARK ON TWO ISLANDS

Hawaii National park is unique in that it consists of tracts on two are doing surveying separate islands.

CITIZENS (Continued On Page Four) in his rath and demand an accounting of all funds spent and why? <■ That the city surely needed this sewage disposal plant, no one will dispuate, but there is a lot of objection to the apparent waste of the fund which has made its price excessive and has imposed unnecessary cost on the overburdened taxpayer.

Legal Notice

T.EOAT. NOTICE OF PTTBI.IC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the Local Alcoholic Beverage Board of Delaware County, Indiana, will, at 9:00 A. M. Central Standard Time on the 27th day of January, 1941 at the Clerk's Office, Court House in the City of Muncie in said County, begin investigation of the application of the following named person, requesting the issue to the applicant, at the location hereinafter set' out, of the Alcoholic Beverage Permit of the class hereinafter designated and will, at said time and place, receive information concerning the fitness of said applicant, and the propriety of issuing the permit applied for to such applicant at the premises named: United Veterans of Indiana, 06954, J14-1G E. Main St., Muncie—Liquor,

Beer, Wine Retailer-

Said investigation will be open to the and public participation is re-

public, , quested.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission of Indiana By JOHN F. NOONAN Secretary HUGH A. BARNHART Excise Administrator

The Cost of Personal Appearance$1,383,000,000. A YEAR-

c

* Source: National Industrial Conference Board. Inc.

which may be expected to return next year. Up,to December 14, 677 cases have been reported to the state board of health with 69 dead, as opposed to 56 reported cases in 1939 and 17 in 1938. Fifty per cent of the proceeds of county campaigns remain with local committees for aiding individuals through surgery, hospitalization, splints, leg braces and rehabilitation measures. The remaining fifty per cent goes to the national foundation for nation wide edtffea'tion; reseaTch and assistance-■hr-local- urnt-Br- - —

ONTRIBUTING to the witchery and charm of American women and the smart appearance of American men are barbers and beauty shops, cosmetics and perfumes, and other lifts to looks, that cost the Nation over a billion dollars yearly, or almost twice as much as domestic electric* ity. Of the total amount spent annually for “personal appearance/* cosmetics alone

mount up to $229,000,000.

Well worth it, you say . . . Consider, then, how worth while are the services of ELECtricity at such relatively small cost.

INDIANA GENERAL SERVICE COMPANY